


5 Times Peter Parker Went To Chemistry Class

by strandedonthemoon



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Spideychelle, a 5+1 fic, actually its a piece of shit nvm, idk how to tag, idk its cute i think, its about michelle and peter and how their relationship grows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-08-27 02:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strandedonthemoon/pseuds/strandedonthemoon
Summary: and the one time he didn't





	1. the first time...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle didn't like Chemistry class. 
> 
> She found it... boring. 
> 
> Or at least, until a certain Peter Parker showed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me, trying to do the 5+1 thing. ha.  
> i'm trying to rouse myself from a writer's block. wish me luck. 
> 
> hope you enjoy this short piece of shit.
> 
> (seriously. this is so short. it's barely 800 words. just a warning)

Michelle didn't like Chemistry class.

It's not like she hated it so much she'd curse the very existence of it or anything. 

Just, _she doesn't like it._

She found it... boring. To say the least. 

Michelle would much rather learn about physics, her interests leaning more towards cosmology or relativity. Nuclear physics. Even mechanics, when she lets herself get lost in a world filled with skyscrapers and creating from nothing. When she lets her mind wander to the deepest crevice in her mind.

Just pure physics. That's where her strength lied...

No. That's a lie. 

Her strength lied in design. In buildings and architecture. In the history that lies beneath a roof painted with stories of a past and walls carved with our path towards the present. 

Physics merely aided that strength. 

Her mom used to smile one of her soft smiles when she talked about architecture. Back when she talked about it. 

_"I want to build Broadway Theater, Mama," a 6-year-old Michelle once told her mom._

_A soft_   _smile. "Broadway Theater has already been built, MJ." She brushed the curls from Michelle's face. The younger girl grinned._

_"Then I want to rebuild it. I'm sure it could use it."_

_A laugh. Her mom untangled a curl before releasing it and smiling._

Anyways, she didn't like Chemistry class.

She found it boring.  

Or at least, she did. Until a certain Peter Parker showed up one fateful morning. 

The boy in question stumbled into the room, disheveled as ever, four minutes after the bell has already gone. Besides the hint of a rose color in his cheeks and an obviously exaggerated pant, Peter looked like he wasn't even tired, despite him obviously running here. 

"Mr. Parker. You're late," the teacher said with a hint of disapproval. 

Peter grew red at the confrontation. He looked down at his feet in embarrassment, bouncing on his heals. "Sorry," he mumbled quietly. "Missed the early train."

"Have a seat. Anyways, as I was saying, the Arrhenius equation is a formula..." 

Peter took the seat next to Ned Leeds, who Michelle assumed was his best, and only, friend. She paid no attention to them as she directed her attention back to the teacher in hopes that something somewhat interesting will happen to free her from her boredom.  

And for once, her prayers were answered. 

A low whine slowly filled the room, slowly rising the children in the classroom from their work and their boredom at the unusual and very unexpected noise, their curiosity peaking and grabbing at their attention. The low whine slowly morphed into a squeaky hiss, and the students began to murmur quietly, looking for the source of the noise. "What's that noise?" the teacher asked impatiently, his voice wavering slightly in composed panic.

And suddenly, a pop sounded. Following it was the sound of glass breaking. 

And silence. 

The teacher rolled his eyes. "Again? This is the third beaker someone as broken this week."

Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she saw Peter's shoulder's tense. His hands were tucked under his desk. 

The teacher sighed at the classroom's sudden silence. "I don't want to know who it is," he said, waving his arm exasperatedly. "Just... clean it up. Be careful of the glass shards if they're small. Use the broom in the back of the class if you need to." He turned back to his computer, his hand on his forehead. 

Peter visibly relaxed. When he pulled his hands out from under the desk to show Ned, they were coated with what seemed to be a sticky, translucent liquid. He quickly shoved them back under the desk. 

Michelle wordlessly grabbed a tissue box from the table beside her and threw it to his. It landed just in front of him.

Peter looked up at her, half alarmed and half intrigued, his eyes sparkling slightly above the too-dark circles under his eyes. He raised his eyebrows in question. She shrugged in response. 

"Looks like you need it, loser." She nodded her head towards his arms. Peter's eyes comically widened at the realization that someone saw him, and with a smirk, Michelle turned back to her work. 

A beat passed before Michelle turned back to look at Peter trying to hazardously scraped the remains of the liquid off his hands. In the right light, the liquid almost looked like webs. 

Michelle pushed down a smile as she grabbed her sketchbook from her book bag. She knew exactly what person in crisis she was going to sketch today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah it's cute spiderchelle for today. it gets a bit deeper as it goes along, though. i'm just kind of exploring peter and mj's relationship and just michelle as a character. idk if there's going to be a whole lot of romance, though. maybe.
> 
> also, yeah, idk if any of the whole, "michelle likes physics and architecture and history" is canon. i'm just kind of twisting this to the way i want to based on a few moments from the movie as sort of (not really) evidence to back this up. 
> 
> that probably made no sense. it's fine.
> 
> I'll try to update this as often as i can. 
> 
> like and comment?
> 
> thanks for reading!


	2. ...and then the second...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter smiled timidly at her before casting his eyes downwards, a curl falling onto his face.
> 
> Michelle wasn't sure if she smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two! 
> 
> thank you guys so much for the positive feedback! your comments literally made my day! uwu
> 
> so here it is. chapter two. hope you like it?

"Okay class, listen up." 

Michelle looked up from her notebook. The Chemistry teacher cleared his throat, glancing around the class. 

"I'm changing the seating plan. We're using the buddy system for the next term."

The class erupted into a fit of light protests and unsatisfied murmurs. Rolling his eyes, the teacher ignored them. He started calling kids up. "Cindy, go sit with Abe. Amber, sit..."

Michelle gave a disinterested snort and looked back into her notebook. She started sketching the beginnings of a roof. 

"Peter, go sit in the seat next to Michelle's."

Her eyes looked up coolly at the teacher before glancing at Peter, who got up from his seat next to a sad-looking Ned to sit next to her. He smiled timidly at her before casting his eyes downwards, a curl falling onto his face.

Michelle wasn't sure if she smiled back.

"So, I guess we're partners now," Peter said shyly. He made it sound more like a question that a statement. His pen twirled around his fingers when he was nervous, she noticed. A habit, she guessed.

He was doing that now. The twirling. The sight of him so unkempt and nervous was internally amusing. She fought the urge to smile. 

Michelle raised an eyebrow instead. "Are we?"

Peter eyes widened in a manner that almost comical. "I-"

"Okay class, take out your practical books. Today we're..."

Michelle tuned the teacher out. She went back to her notebook, sketching a building. A house. Her house. 

Her home. 

_"Mama, where are we going?"_

_Her mom twisted around in the passenger seat, shooting her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her sister Gayle shot her mom a disapproving look from the driver's seat. She had a bruise blooming around her wrist, one that looked painful. But she continued to drive steadily, her hard eyes trained across the road._

_"We're going home, MJ."_

_10-year-old Michelle shivered. "Home?" she whimpered. Her young eyes brimmed with tears._

_Gayle rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, although her hands shook slightly. "A new home, Michelle. God. Don't be such a baby." Michelle ignored the jab._

_"Will Baba be there?"_

_Both her mom and Gayle tensed. "No," her mom replied softly._

_She crossed her arms, relieved. "Good."_

"Um, Michelle? Are you going to do any work?" Peter asked, pulling Michelle out of her thoughts. 

She looked up at him. He had his goggles on, the equipment for the practical already set up. He was holding out a pair of goggles towards her. She ignored it. 

"No." 

She expected him to be mad. But instead, his eyes twinkled with amusement, and a bit of surprise. "Why?"

With a shrug, she replied. "It's boring."

Peter's face opened up into a smile. "It's boring?" 

She nodded, her face blank. 

Peter set down the goggles in front of her. "Oh." He looked down shyly. His curls fell forward onto his face, and she resisted the urge to comb her hand through them. "Well, this practical is really easy-"

"Is it?" Michelle asked. Her face was still blank. 

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"The rhetorical question thing."

"What rhetorical question thing?"

Peter stared at her a bit, puzzled. His gaze was scrutinizing but she forced herself to maintain eye contact. 

He shook his head. "Never mind." She internally smirked. 

"Anyways, this practical is really easy. If we work together, we can get this done in 15 minutes, so we'll have about 20 minutes to do whatever we want. And that's good because then we can talk. If you want, of course. We can just discuss decathlon, too. Nothing to broad, if you don't like that sort of thing. Or I can help you with whatever you're working on." He gestured to her notebook. 

Her gaze hardened. "I don't need help."

Peter recoiled. His face fell a little, although he tried to cover it up. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't want to offend or underestimate you or anything. It's just, you were really concentrated on whatever you were working on and you seemed like you needed to help so I just thought that I could maybe offer it? If you needed it, of course. Again, I didn't mean to underestimate you. I know you're like, crazy smart and that you can probably do it on your own and you wouldn't need help from me... I'm sorry."

His gaze dropped dejectedly to the ground, a pen twirling in his hand, and her heart softened a little. 

God, she didn't even know why she was mad in the first place. He probably didn't even see what she was sketching. He probably didn't even _know_ she was sketching. 

And even if Peter saw the sketch, he wouldn't even know what it is.

But she still felt... violated. Exposed.

She shouldn't have sketched in class. God.

Michelle sighed, shaking her head. "What's the practical?"

Peter looked up and his eyes smiled, even if his mouth was frowning. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

She rolled her eyes. "You can't be forgiven for doing nothing wrong. Now, I wasn't paying attention when this was explained, so what are we supposed to do?"

His mouth smiled now. "We're supposed to put 0.5M hydrochloric acid in this beaker..."

They worked in relative silence, the only sounds coming from Peter as he told her what to do and the chatter of the classroom around them. 

Peter was right. They finished in thirteen minutes.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" Michelle asked after they were done and Peter was putting away the equipment. 

Peter looked up. He scrunched his eyebrows in question. 

"Ned's across the classroom," she said, gesturing to his friend across the room. He noticed her and waved over excitedly. She waved back. "Why couldn't you talk to him when we were done with this? Why did you want to talk to me?"

Even though she said all of this nonchalantly, her heart was beating out of her chest. He looked at her like he could hear it.

Peter seemed surprised at her question. "Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?"

She didn't answer, so he continued. "Ned's all the way across the room anyways. I'd rather stay here."

She stayed silent. He continued. "Plus, you're cool. I want to talk to you more." He smiled at her warmly, so warmly she could feel it in her chest. 

This time, Michelle was sure she smiled back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. you're still here. you read this. god bless your soul :)
> 
> again, thank you for the positive feedback.
> 
> i'll try to update as often as i can.
> 
> kudos and comment?
> 
> thanks for reading!


	3. ...the third time rolled around...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, it was a bit harder to deny the blatantly obvious. 
> 
> But that's why it was so refreshing when Peter stopped being so reckless.
> 
> It made it easier to push Spider-man and Peter Parker apart from each other in her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY. i know i havent been consistent with my updating and with the comments BUT I READ THEM AND I LOVE THEM AND HERE'S A CHAPTER SO THAT'S SOMETHING.  
> gcse's are a bitch.  
> i'm also dying under the workload of nine classes but its cool. its fine. im fine :)  
> baaaaaasically peter’s going to miss decathlon for the... fourth? time this week and Michelle’s pissed.  
> HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY

While Peter has stopped being the definition of unreliability and unpredictability in any given situation, he still has his moments. 

He has improved drastically though. His days of skipping classes, detentions and missed decathlon meetings were well behind him. 

That was, honestly, a huge relief to Michelle. She wasn't an idiot. Spider-man showing up in DC the same time Peter was missing despite him being solely a New York icon up until that point? The ferry incident happening just half an hour after Peter skipped detention? Peter ditching Liz at Homecoming, just for her dad to be caught stealing alien tech from Stark Industries-to manufacture illegal weapons that were being sold at the ferry during the incident and may have been the cause of the faulty elevator in DC-by, _surprise_ _surprise_ , Spider-man?

No. 

If they were all isolated events happening within larger time gaps, she may have ruled it all as a coincidence. 

But for all the events to be linked together as well as perfectly matching a time frame where Peter couldn't be found?

Definitely not a coincidence. 

Which is why it was so refreshing when Peter stopped being so reckless

Sure, Spider-man was still around. And he still did his reckless crime-fighting thing. And sometimes he got himself in sticky situations. 

But Peter wasn't. There was no recklessness or unpredictability or sticky situations when it came to him anymore. 

Which made it easier to push Spider-man and Peter Parker apart from each other in her head. 

Even if, sometimes, he'll miss a decathlon practice. And maybe his excuses aren't always the best.

Sometimes it is a bit odd that he's always wearing those... bracelets? They don't really look like bracelets. Whatever. He's always wearing those _things_ on his wrists. 

And yeah, it's kind of odd that he always seems to have a spiderweb or two stuck in the corners of his backpack. He's suddenly gotten a lot better at PE. And there _are_ those rumors of him jumping over the school fence once...

Maybe Michelle was in denial. Only a little. She thought of it rather as.. coming to a different conclusion. Maybe he just had a demanding part-time job. That internship could be the reason he's wearing those things on his wrist. He could be taking gymnastics. He didn't _have_ to be a vigilante/superhero.

But sometimes, it was a bit harder to deny the blatantly obvious. 

"You're missing decathlon again?" Michelle asked. She glanced up from her notebook, everything in her face blank except for her eyes, which flashed with hurt under their nonchalance. 

Peter played with his fingers nervously. He took off his safety goggles and set them down on the table before twisting in his chair to face her. Michelle raised an eyebrow. A nervousness flared in him, and he immediately looked down. 

"I-I got the Stark Internship. Something really important."

She scoffed at that before glancing back down at her notebook. "Obviously."

"MJ, I'm really sorry."

"Okay."

"I swear I am."

Michelle rolled her eyes. "I know you are, loser. But three meetings in a row? You missed practically all this week's meetings. And we're competing with four rival schools next month. The least you could do is tell me the truth."

_Please, just tell me the truth_.

Peter sighed. "You wouldn't get it," he mumbled. 

"Oh?" Michelle dragged her eyes at him stonily. An uncharacteristic anger flowed through her. 

She spoke before she could even think about it. "Fine. You're first alternate then. I can't afford to waste any more time."

Peter's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the bell rang. 

"Alright, class. You're dismissed," their chemistry teacher said, waving his hand in a gesture that suggested, _leave. I do not want you here._ Michelle was packing away her books when Peter spoke again. 

"Wait, MJ, I'm s-"

"I know you're sorry, Peter." Michelle sighed. "But I can't sacrifice the team because your mind is preoccupied."

"No, MJ-"

"And it's probably for the best anyway. I don't want to hold you back on... on whatever it is you're up to."

Michelle got up and began to walk away, but before she could get out the door, Peter ran in front of her and blocked the door. His eyes looked at her pleadingly.

"MJ, can you please just listen to me?"

"She can listen to you perfectly fine from outside this classroom."

They both whirled around to look at their chemistry teacher, who sat at his desk, an eyebrow raised and a cup of tea in one hand. "I have ears, you know," he says before setting the mug down and facing his computer again. "Both of you seem to forget that a lot, especially in class. Now out."

Peter's ears and cheeks turn red. "Sorry," he mumbled. MJ rolled her eyes.

She stepped passed him and began walking towards her locker. "Bye, Peter."

"N-no wait, MJ. I-I'm-I'm spending some time with my aunt. This afternoon."

Michelle stopped and turned around. Her demeanor shifted into something hard and cold. "No you aren't."

_"Why are you always working the night shift?" 15- year-old Michelle asked her sister, who had just come back from the clinic at six AM._ _MJ was making breakfast for herself when Gayle walked in, still wearing her nursing scrubs. She grabbed a piece of toast from behind MJ and bit into it, despite it being plain._

_"You remember the lady that used to buy us those good vegetables a few years ago when she had extra cash?" her sister said now, her mouth full._

_"Don't talk while you're chewing," Michelle said._

_"Do you remember her or not?"_

_"Yes, I do remember her. The pretty one with the glasses that worked in the same clinic as you."_

_"Yup. Her name is May Parker, by the way."_

_Gayle paused as if picking her words carefully. "She always takes afternoon shifts, and sometimes the morning shifts, so I'm usually stuck with the night ones," she finally said, deciding not to reveal much._

_Michelle rolled her eyes. "Can't you talk to her about this? Ask her to give you an afternoon one or something?"_

_Her older sister shook her head. "Look, it's not that simple."_

_"Yes it is."_

_"No it isn't, Michelle." Gayle's eyes softened in sadness. "She lost her husband a few weeks ago, okay?"_

_Michelle stopped mid-chew. "Oh."_

_"Yeah. She has a kid to take care of and not enough money to do so properly so she's always taking the double shifts. And I'll be damned if I let her take a night shift."  A sigh escaped her older sister's lips, a sound so unheard of that Michelle's heartstrings involuntarily tightened. She held her breath._

_Gayle glanced up. Her eyes, glassy with fatigue and sadness, hardened. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, and yet tough with grief. "We should know," she began, "more than_ anybody, _what if feels like to love someone that isn't there to love you back anymore."_

Michelle turned away from Peter and walked away.

 

* * *

 

It was expected for Michelle to not give a damn about what happened with Peter. She never really gave much of anything that didn't hold a significant importance in her life thought anymore, so why should Peter be the exception?

So she didn't think about it. And she went on with the rest of her day. 

Decathlon went fine. She didn't make any rash decisions yet, so technically Flash was still first alternate. She already warned Mr. Harrison that Flash might not stay first alternate for long, though. 

MJ would never admit it, but it hurt her a little bit to so. She knew why Peter wasn't showing up. Even if he didn't know she knew. But that still didn't make it fair for the team, or to her. 

She definitely wasn't thinking about it.

Especially not when a robbery was taking place across the street from where she lived, in a coffee shop her aunt loves to buy croissants from. 

And _especially_ not when she went into the shop despite the robbery to try and help out, her heart beating frantically in her chest.

"Hey, look man, I don't wanna hurt you," the robber was saying as Michelle was running in. The smile on his face, and the gun in his hand, suggested otherwise. "Just gimme all your money and you can walk away with barely a scratch."

He didn't notice her. Michelle used that to her advantage. 

She assessed the situation. There was a family near an open window, a terrified mom and two equally terrified twin boys, that were too scared to move. The cashier, Andrea, was shaking by the cash register. It was closed. There were about twelve people outside of the store that were too close. The robber was about four feet away from the family, and two feet away from the Andrea. Too close. Michelle decided to deal with the people outside first. 

_Peter Parker, you better show up here and quick_ , she thought as she slowly backed away from the shop and into the crowd. 

"Hey," Michelle told the girl closest to the scene. "You wanna back up a little? That guy's got a gun and I don't think you guys really wanna be at the end of it."

The girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, looked at Michelle with a mix of annoyance and fear. When she spoke, her voice wavered a bit. "That's my mama and my brothers in there. I ain't leaving."

Michelle sighed. She didn't really want to push this girl right now, because it might catch the robber's attention. "Fine. Help me get this crowd to move across the street. It'll be easier for the police to help your family if there isn't a crowd at the entrance. Do you know if anyone called nine-one-one yet?"

The girl pointed at an old man at the very back with a shaky hand. "He did."

"Hey, I'm not gonna wait all day! You gon' give me the money or do I have to shoot?"

Michelle winced a little and held her breath. _God, Peter, hurry up._  

"We have to get the crowd to the other side of the street."

The girl tore her eyes away from the scene to look at Michelle. Her eyes brimming with tears, and her hands were shaking, but she nodded steadily. MJ had to give the girl credit for keeping a clear head . 

They had just finished moving the crowd when a blur of red and blue whizzed into the cafe and skidding between Andrea and the robber. 

Michelle exhaled. The girl beside her smiled. 

"Whoa, man. That's a lot of change for an order you never put in," Peter said, bouncing on his heels. "And even if you did, a gun isn't the nice way to say please."

He shot a web at the gun and let it scatter across the ground. Andrea immediately took this chance to duck behind the counter and Michelle could see her figure begin to crawl into the kitchen. 

The robber said something too low for Michelle to hear, before reaching out into his pocket and pulling out a knife. 

She quickly turned to the girl. "I'll be right back, okay? Make sure everyone doesn't move and _stay here_."

Before the girl could reply, MJ was running towards the coffee shop. 

"So the gun wasn't cutting it, now was it?" Peter was saying just as she walked in slowly, trying to be as discreet as possible. Her eyes involuntarily rolled at the pun. 

"You think this is funny, Insect Girl?" the robber said, oblivious to her presence. Michelle inched closer to the family.

Out of the corner of her eye, Michelle saw Peter's hands twitch a little, a telltale sign he noticed something. It always happened in chemistry. He'd notice a mistake in the formula or figure out the answer, and his hand would twitch before it shot up, ready to tell the teacher something.

But when she turned to look at him, his eyes were still trained on the robber. 

She realized, with a mix of surprise and awe, that what he noticed was _her_.

He knew the family had to get out safely before doing anything drastic, otherwise they might get hurt.

_At least he's good at his job,_ Michelle thought. 

"Man, come on. I'm obviously a spider, and also a guy."

"Shut up, kid. I ain't afraid to hurt you." The man pointed the knife in Peter's direction, but the boy didn't even flinch. 

"Oh, _trust me_ , I can tell."

Michelle reached the family and grabbed onto the mother's arm, who jolted in shock. Her eyes were overfilling with tears and her bottom lip was shaking. Michelle squeezed her hand.  _We gotta go_ , she mouthed. Michelle gestured to the open window. 

The mom seemed to collect herself a little before grabbing one of the boy's by the waist and pulling him closer to kiss the top of his head quietly. She then hoisted him up and, with Michelle's help, got him through the window and onto the sidewalk safely. They did the same with the other boy. But just as the mom was going to move, the table creaked. 

The robber whipped around. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself, buddy."

Peter shot a web at the guy's face and then at the knife, grabbing it and throwing it across the room with the gun. That gave the mom and Michelle time to crawl out of the window and onto the street, dashing to where the crowd was. MJ didn't bother to look back.

The girl from before was suddenly trampled by her two little brothers, and then her mom, and suddenly they were all on the floor and they're crying. The girl turned to her. "Thank you," she said, her voice watery. Michelle nodded and smiled before turning away. 

Peter managed to web up the guy to the wall and the weapons on the ground, and he was currently talking to Andrea, who was shaking slightly. She could hear police sirens in the distance. 

And suddenly the adrenaline rush zapped out of her, bringing her to the pavement. 

"You okay, ma'am?"

She looked up. Spider-man was kneeling in front of her, his hand outstretched. MJ ignored it. 

"I'm fine, Parker."

Peter inhaled a sharp breath, and she quickly realized her mistake. 

Michelle had said his name. Fuck. 

The boy quickly turned to make sure no one was listening, and when he realized they weren't, he slowly started stepping away. 

Fuck. Shit. _Fuck_.

"Wait-"

But he swung away before she could say anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU'RE STILL HERE??? fuck  
> I'm genuinely sorry it took so long to update though. i'm working on another (much longer) fic and i also have mock exams coming up (gcse's are a BITCH) and that's basically taking up most of my time :(  
> i'm not giving up on this fic, though, so don't worry ;)  
> on an unrelated note, my friend at school thinks he can find my ao3 or tumblr account and i cant wait to see him fail tremendously because my name isnt attached to both :)
> 
> anyways, i'll try to update as often as i can.
> 
> kudos and comment?
> 
> thanks for reading!


	4. ... the fourth came and went...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle couldn't help but glance at Peter during the class, wondering if he hated the silence, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i suck at updating i'm sorry :(
> 
> btw, Gayle works in the same hospital as May. news travels fast. just keep that in mind.

Michelle didn't know what to say, so she opted for the second-best option; not to say anything at all. 

That _did_ make Chemistry class quite the awkward ordeal though; Peter chose not acknowledge her presence either. Not that Michelle would blame him for that. She didn't. 

It's not that she wanted to ignore him, but what was she supposed to say? Sorry for finding out about your identity? I didn't mean to let your name slip? I knew for the longest time but I chose not to acknowledge it?

No. She'd rather stay silent. 

Talking to _him_ wasn't the problem. It was never a problem to begin with, even back when she was just a quiet observer two tables away from him. The problem was talking to Peter meant she was acknowledging him, and in turn, Spider-Man. Almost accepting him and Peter to be the same person as fact. 

And Michelle would rather hold onto the blessed oblivion for a little longer. 

She will admit, however, that the part of her that grew to love Chemistry for the bouncing dialogue hated the silence. 

Quiet wasn't something she was used to. After a few weeks of sitting next to Peter's rambling self, MJ got used to the constant banter and flowing conversation about decathlon and space and puns and movies and books and feminism and happiness and everything in between, something that became their newfound normal. Even Ned joined into a few conversations about Star Wars and Star Trek, and Michelle couldn't say that she didn't enjoy their company. She even started sitting with them at lunch sometimes. 

Michelle loved the chatter. 

She missed it.

But as Peter sat stoically and silently beside her, never acknowledging her presence in the slightest, she wondered if she just made it up. Because how could he sit there so calmly if he missed her, too?

"Okay class, today we're taking a break from lab reports to work on some theory. Turn your pages to page one hundred and forty-three..."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She opened it to find a text from Ned. 

_Ned: You know?_

She looked up to where Ned was sitting, across the room. His eyes were slightly concerned. 

_Michelle: yeah._

_Ned: How?_  

_Michelle: it doesn't matter. he doesn't even want to talk to me._

_Ned: He's just surprised. But he'll come around, trust me._

Michelle couldn't help but glance at Peter during the class, wondering if he hated the silence, too. 

 

* * *

 

 

When she got back home, her aunt knew something was up. 

"Still shaken up by the robbery," Michelle said, trying to smile.

But the older woman just shook her head. "I've seen you more energetic arguing with a telemarketer. You ain't fooling nobody."

Michelle didn't say anything, so her aunt let it go. 

Gayle didn't. "Not like it's anything new with you," her sister said. Her eyes were trained onto the TV. "You're always fucking sulking. But can you turn your sorrow down a bit? I'm trying to watch a movie."

MJ couldn't help but send a murderous glare her sister's way. God, she reminded her way too much of her dad, sometimes. 

Dinner was awkward. Her aunt kept glancing at her with concern and Gayle sent MJ a pointed look every time she ignored them. Michelle sat there for no more that two seconds before she got up and left to her room, leaving her plate solidly untouched. 

Her room wasn't much better either. Being confided into four walls just left her with herself and, ultimately, her thoughts. Pent-up guilt rolled onto her in slow, murderous waves, and soon, she was laying on her bed numbly as she tried to block it all out again. Force it back in. Tie it into a manageable knot and store it somewhere in her stomach, where she can deal with it some other time.

A knock sounded from her door. "Mickey? You up?"

Michelle smiled sadly at the nickname. Her aunt only occasionally called her that because she was too afraid it would remind her of her mother. Her aunt called her Mickey. Her mom called her MJ. After the latter died, Michelle stuck to, well, Michelle. 

"Yeah. Come in."

Her aunt entered her room, her energy taking up more space than possible. She wasn't a short woman, but she was lean. Scrawny. Her hair was always kept short and natural, curling just a bit above her ear. She was wearing her work clothes, a casual sweatshirt with slightly more formal pants. Her charity's badge was pinned on her collar. 

Theoretically, she wasn't supposed to occupy a lot of space. Her hair wasn't even in an afro anymore. But in practice, her energy took up the space of four men twice her size. A room always felt crowded when she walked in. 

Her aunt smiled warmly at her before sitting down on the edge of her bed. She started stroking Michelle's hair softy, and the younger girl melted into the touch. 

"Wasn't gonna leave my baby mouse sad on her own without givin' her a little love," she said in an attempted softness. 

Michelle laughed. "I'm fine, Auntie. Really. Just a little situation."

"A situation?"

"It's... I can't really talk about it."

Her aunt squeezed her shoulder. "Fine by me. But you know you can, right? I ain't ever gonna be your mama, and I ain't ever gonna try, but I can be your something if ya let me."

Michelle sat up. Her aunt always said that, but it always made her heart squeeze a little. "I know."

"That's my baby mouse." She kissed the crown of Michelle's head before getting up. "Gayle already left, don't you worry. But the food got cold so I ordered ya a pizza instead. I'll be back by one at the latest, okay, Mickey?"

Michelle nodded. 

Her aunt smiled. "I love ya, mouse." 

"Love you, too, Auntie."

MJ waited until she heard the door close before she got up and went into the living room, hoping to use the TV as a distraction. 

Fifteen minutes into an interesting documentary about rubber trees, the doorbell rang. 

Michelle got up to retrieve her pizza, but when she opened the door, she wasn't met with the delivery guy. Instead, her eyes landed on a pair of synesthetic white eyes with a black outline surrounding them, and red and blue adorned the rest of the body. He was hanging from the ceiling of the hallway outside her door. 

She blinked. Peter's at her door. 

No. Spider-man's at her door. 

She blinked again. 

He jumped down and landed smoothly on his feet before clearing his throat. "Hey."

She stared at him.

"Is-Is anyone home?"

Michelle just shook her head mutedly.

"Oh. Uh, does that- does that mean- is it okay if, uh-no, wait- um, can I-can I come in?"

Michelle paused, then her hand moved to hold the door open for him, her mind elsewhere entirely. 

Peter's at her door. Spider-man's at her door. Spider-man knows where she _lives_. 

"Thanks."

Peter stepped into her house and she closed the door behind him, slowly letting the information sink in.

Peter's at her door. Peter's in her _house_. 

"How did you know where I lived?" she asked blankly. Her voice may have wavered a little. 

The younger boy didn't notice. He pulled his mask off to reveal his face, flushed with his neck from the cold and adrenaline, and his hair was a mess of curls and ruined gel. His eyes were shining. 

"I asked my aunt," he said softly. 

MJ nodded. His aunt would know where she lived, yes. Her nerves began to settle.

"Are-Are you creeped out? That I came here?" Peter asked, his hand twiddling in nervousness. She fought the urge to grasp his hands into her own.

Michelle didn't think before she spoke. "A little." She immediately regret it.

Peter blushed and he let his gaze hang down. "Sorry."

She waved him off. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"I'm so sorry."

Michelle paused, getting the sense that he wasn't just apologizing for coming to her house uninvited. 

"Peter?"

His eyes were unbearably earnest when he looked up. MJ fought the urge to look away. 

"I-I always knew you knew. Deep down. You-You always left those subtle hints. The day with the tissues and my web fluid. D-Decathlon. The detentions. Even when you asked me what-what I was hiding a few months ago. I always sort of knew it. But you saying it?"

Peter took in a deep, slightly shaky breath. 

"That was- that was scary."

"Peter."

The boy started pacing. "And then realizing that you put yourself in danger because you had faith I would show up yesterday? That you had faith in _me_? That was fucking terrifying."

Michelle blinked. Peter _swore_. 

"I'm so sorry. I know I should've warned you about this. About me. About what my line of work can bring. I should've come clean and told you. You have every right to be angry at me."

"Did you just swear?"

Peter stopped and looked up at her. He blinked for a few seconds before smiling a little. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Michelle smiled, too. "My mom would've had a fit if she'd heard you."

The smile on Peter's face dropped. "A-About your mom-"

_Thirteen-year old Michelle was sitting beside a bed in a hospital not too far from her home in Wisconsin. In the bed lay her mother._

_Gayle was in the cafeteria getting them something to eat, so she was in the room with her mom alone. She was scared, but she put on a brave face for her mother._

_Her mother, who laid still beside her, the heart monitor and her ragged breathing the only indication she was alive. She looked like a corpse. In some odd way, she practically was._

_Sometimes, Michelle would read to her so she wouldn't get bored, but today she forgot her book in class so she couldn't do so. Her mom didn't seem too disappointed. It didn't seem like she could really remember what they were reading anyway._

_Michelle turned in the TV instead, hoping her mom wouldn't mind that the most interesting thing on was the news._

_Her mom turned to her a few minutes later. "R'nner?" she mumbled incoherently. But before Michelle could reply, her head lolled sideways, her eyes wide open for once. The heart monitor beeped frantically, in time with Michelle's racing heart._

_They were reading The Kite Runner that week. By Khalid Hosseini._

_It was the last book she ever read aloud._

"Your aunt told you, didn't she?"

Peter stayed silent a bit before he nodded. "Yeah. She did. I'm sorry."

She waved him off, trying to play it off as nonchalant. "It's cool." For some reason, her voice broke in the end. She cleared her throat. "I guessed that anyway."

Peter looked at her with sympathy.

No. _Empathy_.

He's been through this, too. More than she has. 

The boy crossed the room in two strides, and before she could register it, his arms were wrapped around her. 

She tensed in shock, but when he just squeezed her harder at the reaction, her body involuntarily melted into his, because this wasn't a pity hug as much as it was a comfort hug, and while she couldn't stand the former, the latter wasn't half bad. 

When Peter spoke, it was into her hair. "Cancer really is a bitch, huh?"

"And guns. And broken airplanes."

"Yeah..."

He pulled away too soon for her liking. A sad smile lingered in his face. "I guess we're the orphan club now."

Michelle leaned a bit into him, her head just about to touch his shoulder. "Speak for yourself. My dad is still alive."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She dropped her head on his shoulder. "I wish he wasn't."

Peter's body jolted in surprise. She couldn't tell whether it was at the contact or the statement. "W-Why?"

"He's a prick. Used to hit my mom and sister. Made me watch once. Haven't seen him since."

A heavy quiet settled on them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it made it harder to breathe. She realized she was holding her breath. 

"I'm sorry," Michelle said. 

"It's okay."

"I wasn't mad at you, you know," she said, looking up. 

She was met with a stunned silence. 

"Honest. I wasn't mad. I was just..."

_Scared._

_Scared to admit that you putting yourself in danger terrified me._

_Scared because I didn't want to get close to you just to lose you, too._

_Scared for your life._ _Scared because it's always in danger, everyday and all the time, and I didn't want to be a part of that._

_Scared because I wanted to be a part of Peter Parker's life without ever getting close to Spider-man._

_Scared because I still feel that way._

_Scared because I don't want to._

"I just felt guilty," she said instead. It was only half a lie. 

"It was accidental."

"I still name-dropped you."

"No one heard."

"I'm still sorry."

Peter took her hand in his, intertwining her fingers. Her heart lurched. "I forgive you, MJ," he said, smiling. "If-If that's what it takes for you to stop blaming yourself, then I forgive you. I'll always forgive you. A million times over."

Michelle was speechless. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, in her chest, in her head, in her stomach. Everywhere, She felt like a heartbeat. She felt like something living. Like something alive.

She went to say something when a shrill from Peter's phone rang. He didn't let go of her hand as he answered it. 

"Hello?"

MJ couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but she could hear a lot of reprimanding tones from the other end. . 

"Yes, I know it's late... No I'm not out as Spider-man... Visiting a Friend, for God's sake. Not everything means I got kidnapped, Mr. Stark..."

Michelle perked at the name. Tony Stark?

Peter obviously saw her curious gaze and shot her a smile, squeezing her hand. Something tugged in her heart. His attention went back on his phone. "Sorry, Sorry. I'll try again. Not everything means I got kidnapped, _Tony_. Better?... I'll be home soon, I promise... Okay... Bye."

He ended the call before turning to her. "I have to go home now."

"To Tony Stark."

He shrugged in an effort to be nonchalant. It didn't work. He smiled instead. "Yeah. He and May are coparenting me like crazy. It's driving me nuts." You could tell it wasn't. Not really. 

Michelle never really liked Tony Stark. His past was... shady, to say the least.

But he made Peter smile, so he couldn't be all that bad. 

MJ smiled back at him. "You have to go," she said teasingly. 

"I know," he teased back. 

But he didn't let go of her hand, not for a while. 

And their fingers stayed intertwined. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed this! i have the next chapter mostly written, so all i have to do is edit it. hopefully that means i'll post it pretty soon :)
> 
> ALSO Y'ALL DID YOU SEE THAT FFH TRAILER?! SPIDEYCHELLE SNAPPED.
> 
> i'll update as soon as i can. 
> 
> kudos and comment?
> 
> thanks for reading!


	5. ...fifth time is a charm...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this is where it should have stopped. Just far enough for Peter to find a soft spot for touch in Michelle's hard exterior, but not curious enough to try to find out more. 
> 
> But it didn't stop there. And a part of Michelle's heart was grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I didn't update as fast as promised. my mental health hasn't been the greatest for a while so I had to take some time to myself. chapter six might take a while too, so please be patient with me. 
> 
> also, thank you guys for being supportive and wonderful and extremely patient as I'm writing this story. your comments and kudos mean the world to me :)

Michelle wanted to stay that it stopped at their intertwined fingers. 

Friends held hands, right?

To an extent, it sort of did just stop at that. Holding hands. 

But it was more that that.

Grazing fingertips between class. Palm-tracing as they sat side by side in lunch. A hand squeeze before first lesson when he stopped by her locker every morning. Locked hands under their shared desk in Chemistry, his left hand in her right, and Michelle never felt so grateful for being left-handed. Pinkies intertwined as Peter walked her home from school. 

Maybe this is where it should have stopped. Just far enough for Peter to find a soft spot for touch in Michelle's hard exterior, but not curious enough to try to find out more. 

But it didn't stop there. And a part of Michelle's heart was grateful.

Walking her home turned into staying over for Chemistry help which turned into dinners and _come again soon_ 's from Gayle and her aunt. 

Palm-tracing turned into shoulder bumps and arms slung over her shoulders, quick hugs and hair playing on her part, a habit he hated and loved, because _my hair wasn't gelled for you to ruin it at your amusement, MJ_. 

Hand squeezes turned into sleepy shoulder kisses because he was too tired and it was too early to reach up for her cheeks and forehead kisses to tease him about his height, even though he secretly loved that she was taller. 

Locked hands in Chemistry turned into a peck on the cheek as he sat down and soft smiles and _please_   _come over, MJ_ 's that persisted weeks after she declined. 

"I've already met your Aunt before. You know that," she said in one of their many arguments about this. 

He just smiled pleadingly. "But I want you to meet her again. Properly."

"I've met her properly many times, Parker."

"Then I want you to meet her with me."

She shook her head and stared straight ahead, trying to copy down the notes on the board. "No can do, loser."

An exasperated sigh left his lips, then one of his hands overlapped hers. Her heart lurched. 

"Please, MJ. It's a Friday, and I know your aunt wouldn't mind. She likes me."

She was about to reply when the teacher spoke. "Parker, be quiet."

"Sorry, Sir."

He whispered next. " _Please_."

She thought about it. Why didn't she want to go? 

In all honesty, she just didn't see a point. They were used to her house, she was comfortable with him and her alone in a space she knew, and going to his house would just cause unnecessary headache and awkwardness. She didn't want to deal with his aunt knowing who she was. She just didn't want to deal. 

But when she turned to Peter, his eyes pleading and adorable and stupidly stubborn, she knew it was easier to give in.

Her eyes rolled involuntarily. "Fine. Whatever."

Peter's eyes lit up, and he quickly kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you."

Michelle decided it was worth it. 

 

* * *

 

Peter's house was in a small apartment building near downtown Queens. He told her that on the subway, because they had to take the subway to get there. 

They stood side by side for the duration of the ride, their fingers touching as they held the safety pole. 

"It's not that great," he was saying, bouncing on his heals, "but it's home, you know?"

Michelle smiled, because she did know.

He took her smile as an encouragement to continue. "I think you're going to like it. I-I hope you like it. You're definitely going to like it, right? Please like it. God, I'm so excited."

 _I'm going to love it, Peter,_ she thought _. It's your home._

"You gotta contain that joy of yours, loser. It's disgusting," she said instead.

"I can't help it!"

 

* * *

 

When they got to the apartment door, Peter opened the door and walked in, his hand in hers. He squeezed it reassuringly, even though Michelle wasn't nervous.

Or maybe she was, just a little bit. But she would never tell him that. 

"Michelle!" a familiar voice said, breaking her out of her thoughts. 

May Parker emerged from the kitchen, an apron on and her hair tied up. She was beaming.

_A ring from the doorbell sounded, and a twelve-year old Michelle shot up and ran to the door to open it. She swung the door open to reveal a younger-looking Aunt May, still in scrubs from her afternoon shift. She was carrying two bags filled with vegetables, bread and other goods._

_"May!" Michelle squealed. She jumped in excitement before giving the older lady a hug. That earned her a hearty laugh._

_"It's good to see you, Michelle."_

_The younger girl pulled away. "I got an A grade in Physics this term. Highest in my class."_

_"That's great!"_

_"How much did Peter get?"_

_"He also got an A."_

_"Dammit," Michelle muttered. She never met this Peter kid, but May always talks about him. He seemed super smart. She guessed May told Peter about her, too, because now they were always trying to one-up each other._

_"We don't use that language in this house, MJ," her mother called from behind her._

_Michelle blushed. "Sorry."_

_Her mother appeared beside her, her hair in a cap. Or what was left of her hair. It wasn't much._

_"Thank you, May," her mom said, taking the bags from her. Michelle quickly intervened and took the bags from her mother, not wanting her to strain herself any further. As she was walking to the kitchen to put the groceries away, she could still hear her mom speak. "Do you want to stay for dinner? It'll only be fair after all the groceries you've brought us these past months."_

_"Hush, now. You need the money more than we do, in whatever shape it comes in. And if that shape is food, then so be it. I have to go back to Peter and Ben, now, but maybe dinner another day?"_

_"I hope so."_

_"Oh, and before I forget, Peter put a little something in the vegetable bag. He hopes you'll like it." The younger girl could practically hear May winking._

_Michelle's eyes widened and she began to rummage in the vegetable bag. She was hoping it was chocolate. Or extra food. But to her surprise, it wasn't anything like that. It was a small teddy bear, white and grey with a blue shirt. Black paws and ears._

_A smile spread on Michelle's face. She couldn't wait to show her mom._

"It's so good to see you, honey," May said, giving Michelle a quick hug. 

"It's good to see you, too, Ms. Parker."

The older woman shot her a pointed look. "Michelle, we've known each other for a while, now. Your sister and I still work in the same hospital. It's May to you, honey."

Michelle couldn't help but smile. "Okay... May." That sounded better on her tongue.

Beside her, Peter was glowing.

"Now come _in_ , you guys. I'm making lasagne."

 

* * *

 

 "How's your aunt?" May asked as the settled down to eat. 

Michelle tried to swallow. "She's good."

"I would ask how your sister is, but you know..."

That earned a laugh from Michelle, to which Peter looked at her incredulously for- that did not escape May's notice. She raised an eyebrow. 

"Michelle's quite the tough egg to crack," Peter began, still staring at her. She had a hard time holding his stare. "Her laughing is a miracle in and of itself."

MJ raised an eyebrow. "Tough egg to crack?"

"Yeah, like-like- " Peter laughed, and Michelle couldn't help but smile.

May laughed with Peter too, her eyes crinkling in honest happiness. She gestured for him to keep going, even as he stuttered and laughed through it all. This could have annoyed literally any parent, but not May. She 

"Like- she makes me work hard for her," Peter tried to explain.

"Not the first time you brought around someone like that," May retorted, scoffing. 

Michelle did a double take. _Not the first time.._. Peter's eyes widened in alarm. 

"I'm not your first..." she smirked, expecting Peter to blush in embarrassment.

But instead of turning red, the color drained from Peter's face. He was white as sheet, and suddenly nervous. 

"Oh..." May said, her eyes widening slightly. She hand a handover her mouth. "You didn't..." 

Peter shook his head. 

Michelle didn't know what to do, so she reached across the table and took the boy's hand in hers. He looked up at her and shot her a tight smile. Their eyes locked, and for once, she was the one trying to decipher what he was feeling. He looked away before she could. 

"I-I think me and MJ should go to my room," Peter said. He and his aunt shared a look before May smiled softly and nodded. 

"I'll clear up everything, don't worry."

"Thanks, May." He stood up and kissed her head before taking MJ's hand. She stood up, too. 

Peter led her into his room, and she took a moment to take it in. 

Bunk beds, a desk at the side, papers and clothes scattered in need piles all over the room... she expected nothing else.

Michelle let go of his hand and sat on the bottom bunk of his bed, gesturing for him to sit next to her. 

Peter smiled at her and shook his head before sitting on the floor in front of her, his head resting on her thighs. He let out a shaky breath.

"I have to tell you something, MJ," he mumbled into her jeans. The curls on his head moved with every word, and she couldn't help but run her fingers through them. "I have to tell you this before we go any further, okay?"

A part of Michelle wanted to say something sarcastic, but Peter seemed so nervous that she bit the urge down. Instead, she leaned down to bury her face into his curls. She inhaled the scent of his hair, a mix of sweat and Baby Johnson's Shampoo, and whispered, "Okay."

He didn't say anything for a while, just breathing deeply, even as she shuffled down from the bed to the floor in front of him, turning their legs into a mess of tangled limbs. Her hand found its was to the back of his neck and played with the curls near where his head and neck met. "Peter?" she whispered. His eyes were closed.

"Still here," he mumbled. One of his hands undid the clip in the back of her hair while the other squeezed the curve of her waist. His hand buried itself into the thick of her curls. "Your hair smells like coconut."

She laughed at that before tugging him closer in hopes that he'll speak. He did, but first he pressed his face into the nape of her neck and hugged her at the waist tightly.

"I really like you, MJ."

Her hand squeezed the back of his neck. "I really like you, too."

"I really, really like you. Like, a lot."

Peter raised his face as if to look at her, but his eyes were cast downwards. His voice was barely a whisper. "I really like you, MJ."

She cupped his face with her hands and turned his face to hers. His eyes were glassy with earnest. "Peter." Her voice was a whisper, too.

He shook his head, but her hands never left the sides of his face. "I like you, MJ, but I also-I also like other people."

Michelle's eyebrows raised in confusion. Peter's words felt like a rejection, but his voice said otherwise. "What do you mean?"

The boy tried to turn away but she didn't let him. _What do you mean, Peter?_

He closed his eyes. 

"I like you, but I also like people like Ned, and people like Cindy, and Abe. And Katy. John."

"You're losing me."

He leaned into her hand a bit, holding his breath. "I-I like both Rachel and Ross. Harry an-and Hermione. Gus and Hazel..."

Something clicked in her head. "You're bisexual?" He nodded, and then shook his head. 

"What then?"

His face reburied itself back into her neck, breath shaking slightly. "Biromantic asexual."

She let her hands trailed down his back as he wrapped himself around her, and he relaxed under her touch. She smiled. "So the first person was..."

"A guy. His name was Harry."

Michelle shook her head. "I don't care about that, Peter. This doesn't change anything."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He kissed the crook of her shoulder, and then the top of her neck, then her jaw, her cheek, the edge of her mouth, until his lips lingered just above hers. She could feel his breath on her face. Waiting.

But MJ didn't want to wait anymore, so she closed the gap between them with a soft kiss that Peter reciprocated gratefully. 

And that's all they did. Kiss. Peter didn't want to do anything more, and in all honesty, neither did Michelle. 

They only pulled away when they couldn't really kiss through their smiles, and the boy rested his forehead on Michelle's, his breath on her face. Waiting.

She could feel every smile of what he whispered next.

"I really like you, MJ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's some biromantic asexual peter :) asdfghjkl so many things happened in this chapter I'm sorry. 
> 
> next up: the one time he didn't *evil laugh*
> 
> there are two ways the next chapter can go. fluffy ending. or angsty ending. which one do you guys think i should do?
> 
> there's gonna be angst anyways, though. its just the ending that i'm stuck on.
> 
> anyway, i'll try to update as soon as I can. 
> 
> kudos and comment? 
> 
> thanks for reading!


End file.
